Cool
Halloween Costume Ideas For Teachers

Many schools incorporate special activities into the curriculum
around the end of October to have fun with Halloween. Whether hallway
costume parade, fall festival, or Halloween party, teachers should get
in on the costume fun along with their students. But, sometimes coming
up with a great costume idea that fits a teacher's budget, will be a hit
with the students and won't interfere with working through the day can
be a big challenge. Here are some cool Halloween costume ideas for
teachers that score an A+.

Storybook Characters: A good portion of school is
devoted to reading, so why not incorporate a book into your Halloween
costume? Come dressed as a current day popular or long-time favorite
storybook character and watch the children's faces light up in glee.
Younger elementary children will love to see you dressed up as a
character that's helping them learn to read such as the Cat and the Hat
or one of the many beloved fairytale characters. Older kids will
appreciate seeing you as a character from other favorite books such as
Junie B. Jones, Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus or a professor
from Harry Potter such as Dumbledore. Snape or Hagrid. In high school,
bring literary legends, such as Shakespeare, to life by dressing up as a
timeless character from one of the classics.

Science Stuff: Science class always makes a great
venue for Halloween teacher costumes. Dress up as a mad scientist with
wild hair and a lab coat, a planet from the solar system, a giant frog
labeled for dissection or a life-sized skeleton. If you are really
creative, a unique teacher costume for science class is to dress as a
strand of DNA. Wear a black sweat suit that you have attached with a
helix of DNA made from colorful pipe cleaners and fuzzy pom-poms.

Role Swapping: Turning the tables from teacher to
student is always a fun joke. You can come dressed as the head
cheerleader, football player, loveable computer nerd, or any other
appropriate clique at your school. The kids will get a kick out of
seeing you make a fool out of yourself and these costumes are easy to
put together from your school's spirit shop or an online
costume shop.

Remember that teacher costumes should always uphold the standards of
being a role model for the children. Follow the rules and conduct for
dressing that is expected by the school and never wear anything
inappropriate. For example, sexy costumes or especially gory and scary
costumes would not be appropriate for teacher costumes. A good rule of
thumb is that if you have any question at all about the outfit's
appropriateness, even the slightest of concerns, it is best left at
home. Instead, opt for a Halloween costume that would be rated G by
everyone

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Learning in
Hand is an
educator's resource for using some of the coolest technologies
with students.

Learning in Hand is
written by Tony Vincent. Tony taught fifth
grade in Omaha, Nebraska for six years, and three of those years
his students were pioneers in educational handheld computing.
Then, as technology specialist at Willowdale Elementary, Tony
brought the newest technologies into classrooms. Whether it was
digital video, blogs, email, podcasts, or handhelds, Tony helped
Willowdale teachers and students understand the usefulness of
new technologies. Currently, Tony is self-employed as an
education consultant. He conducts workshops, presents at
conferences, and writes books based on his teaching experiences
and passion for new technologies.

Always excited to
share, Tony has documented much of what he knows about handheld
computing and podcasting on his website, learninginhand.com.
There you'll find useful software collections, the best webs
links for handhelds, complete lesson plans, and an informative
blog.

Tony is a teacher who
wants to make education effective, relevant, and fun. He knows
handhelds are small computers that can make a big difference in
classrooms! He hopes Learning in Hand inspires and motivates
teachers to use technology that students crave.

iOS 6 adds a much-needed feature—the
ability to use Upload, Select File, or
Choose File buttons and links found on websites
for submitting files. Previously, when browsing websites
that have a button for uploading files, nothing would
happen when you tapped it on iPad, iPhone, or iPod
touch. Now with iOS 6, tapping that button on webpages
brings up your Media Library where you can select an
image or video to upload.

Because of this simple addition to the
operating system, you can change your profile photo on
social networks, upload photos to a blog, insert a photo
on a Linoit canvas,
and submit videos to websites from iPad, iPhone, or iPod
touch without having to install an app.

This is a big deal for schools using iPads.
Email has been a primary way for teachers to collect
student work (which often might be an image or a video). Email
can be challenging to set up in school
environments, especially on shared devices. Furthermore,
email has file size limits—most notably you cannot
email videos longer than 50 seconds using iOS's Email
app.

So being able to simply navigate to a
website or course management system and upload is handy.
I love that there's no need for a separate app, which is
the way many sites have dealt with the limitation. For
instance, the only reason to use the Edmodo iPad app
(aside from it remembering your login) is to upload
photos and video. And it has been a multi-step process
to add media to an Edmodo post from a device's photo
library. With iOS 6, you can simply upload directly to a
post on Edmodo by tapping the File link. It's so great
that the File link now works, even though it feels like
it should have worked like this from the beginning.

A handy way to collect student work is
with Drop
It To Me. It's a free service that gives you
a URL where others can upload files directly into your Dropbox account.
Students do not need a Dropbox account, only the teacher
receiving the files needs one. Before signing up for Drop
It To Me, you to sign up for a Dropbox
account. Drop
It To Me works well for collecting
videos from Apple devices. Drop
It To Me has a file size limit of 75 MB,
which should be large enough to accept a video that's
six minutes in length. Students can simply go to a
teacher's Drop
It To Me page, input the page's password, and
select a file to upload. The video then shows up in the
teacher's Dropbox. However,
because you cannot change the name of an image in your
Photo Library, photos submitted through Drop
It To Me overwrite each other because
they have the same file name.

It sure would be nice to also be able to
upload other files types, like PDF, Pages, and Word
documents. Apple doesn't give us access to a device's
file system, so don't expect this kind of functionally
any time soon. We're lucky they let us upload photo and
video files...

There
are six modules designed to test the basic ability of an
individual in terms of Memory & Concentration. Needless to
say this is the most important basic skill for not just to
survive but also to thrive in this competitive environment.
Each of the six modules tests the six variants of Memory &
Concentration in an individual, namely:

1.

Picture
recognition

2.

Paired Associate
Learning

3.

Immediate Recall

4.

Serial processing

5.

Parallel
processing

6.

Recognition and
Recall

Each
of these modules runs at three different levels, from easy to
difficult.

At each level, the individual's performance is depicted as
Scores Obtained.

A feedback has been built into the software for all these 18
levels depending on the marks one scores during the
test.

Each individual can assess his/her performance any time by
clicking on "history", which gives complete details
of date and time of taking the tests, marks scored each time
and even time taken to do the test. This builds the confidence
level and encourages more participation to eventually
culminate in improvement and enhancement of memory and
concentration.

Essentially, this software is a SELF AWARENESS tool that
surely motivates the individual to realize one's capability
and seek or be receptive for improvement. Also, if repeatedly
done over a period of time works as Training tool to enhance
their capability.

This
software package is specifically designed to help young
children to learn basic skills that will help them in
school. Continued follow-up will give these young
learners success as they mature.

Three versions of the software exist:
Individual Software on either CD or Online, Family
Version Software, and an Institutional Software package.

StarTeaching wholeheartedly supports
and endorses this software. It will make a difference
with your child or student.

Student
Teachers' Lounge:
For The Things They Don't Teach You In College

The Many
Benefits of Sustained Silent Reading

The benefits of classroom reading are many. Children
(especially young children) have a natural love of reading.
However, we at the middle school often see students who either
struggle with texts or are turned off to reading. A great way of
regenerating that interest is through sustained silent reading
in your classroom.

This topic has been hotly debated recently in the International
Reading Association newsletter. I'm not trying to enter this debate.
This article will simply describe what we in our school have observed
and detail what we've done in our classes that has worked for our
students.

First off, let your students choose what they read, whether it is a
book, magazine, or whatever. It makes a huge difference in peaking their
interest. Teachers already give (and require) plenty of specific
readings through activities, literature, and in textbooks.
Students need the opportunity to read about what interests them, and
this can occur when you allow them to choose what they want to read.
By all means, continue with your regular activities, but find a way to
give your students time (in class is best) to read on their own.

It is very important for you as the teacher to model reading to your
students. Read the entire time your students are reading too. Don't let
this time be wasted on grading papers, checking email, or doing any
other administrivia. If you want your students to take the time
seriously, show them you are taking the time yourself and are enjoying
the activity. Regardless of what the kids may say to you, they will
imitate your behaviors in your class. You have this great opportunity to
be a positive role model!

Just as in practicing writing and their skills through the week, you as
the teacher need to schedule in time for sustained silent reading.
When I'm covering a piece of literature, for example, my class may read
in a variety of ways. We may read aloud, I may read to the class, or we
may play 'popcorn' around the room as students choose others. You
probably have other out-loud reading activities you use too. These are
great, and I always recommend them. But you should always give students
time to read silently too. It doesn't have to be a lot, but I do
recommend at least ten minutes, though not more than twenty. Think in
terms of attention spans: plenty of time to become engaged in the text,
read for a bit, and yet stay focused. Obviously some students could lose
themselves in a book for hours on end, but not all kids have such a long
attention span. Start with ten minutes and work upward, adding a few
minutes each time.

In addition to literature we all cover in class, I also set up a regular
library time so students can select their own books. We'll stay in the
library for, again, about twenty minutes. I give students between ten
and fifteen minutes to look over the shelves and 'try on' a book. Its
like trying on clothing. This trial version is very important so
students can start deciding if this is the book for them. If it
doesn't hook them in the first ten minutes, I suggest they try again.
I'll try to make suggestions based on what I think the students'
interests are. Sometimes we talk about what they like, what their
interests are. Students are not required to check out a book, but they
must 'try out' at least one book at each visit.

We designate each Friday after our vocabulary quiz for sustained silent
reading. Students may read their library book, another book of their
choice, or even a magazine from the rack in my room (I typically collect
old magazines from everywhere and keep them in a large rack in class).
Old magazines include the old stand bys - Reader's Digest, National
Geographic, and Sports Illustrated. But I also gather Teen magazines,
food and cooking, gardening, hunting and fishing, and video game
magazines, among others. This way there are a large variety of topics
for students to choose from.

The bookshelves in my room also have old reference materials and some
outdated textbooks I've scrounged from other teachers. Some of your
students will enjoy looking through drafting texts, recipe books, or
science books, and you'd be surprised at the number of kids who love
maps in social studies, history, or geography text books.

I've noticed a difference, especially in the attitudes of my students
toward reading. Students given choices through the year were more
engaged in the assigned readings through the year. Often, students
(especially struggling students or low readers) have told me they enjoy
reading, or they've found a topic or author they want to read more
about, or the readings I did assign were some of the only ones they
actually read (that year or in several years). Comments like that last
one are bittersweet, because though I'm glad the student has regained
the interest in reading, I'm sorry it took so long and the student was
turned off in the first place. Sustained silent reading and allowing
students to choose their own texts can be very powerful and beneficial
to your students. You can be the teacher who makes a difference to your
students.

Be sure to check out our website for the FREE teacher Who-I-Want-To-Be
plan and other great Freebies for new teachers. Simply click the
following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Mark
Benn is a Technology Integration Coach for VARtek Services, Inc. Having just completed almost 25 years as an educator for Inland Lakes Public Schools, and having received a Masters of Science in Educational Media Design and Technology from Full Sail University in 2010, he now works in a position that supports teachers of K-12 classrooms in the southwest Ohio region that are interested in integrating technology into their learning environments. VARtek Services mission is to be the best provider of managed technology solutions for enhanced learning in the K–12 marketplace. Our website is:
www.vartek.com

Are we moving
into a POST-LITERATE society?

Last
month I tossed you the bombshell idea that we are moving into a
post-literate society. Again, this doesn’t mean the students can’t
read, but they choose to communicate in other ways. I left you with a
homework assignment to read what other educational bloggers are saying.
I also finished the article with the suggestion that you think about how
this idea would influence the classroom.

So
what should a classroom look like in a post-literate society?Are we going to take out the printed word?Are we going to box up all the books?No, students still need to learn comprehension and other reading
skills. It should be more of a change in balance.It is more about our approach.

In
the past, a traditional classroom was basically text based.A 21st century classroom should be balanced with
multi-media and text. In the past, a teacher would begin with a
text-based lesson, and occasionally supported with a multi-media
reinforcement such as a movie (or if you want to go way back, a
filmstrip). With today’s students, our lessons should begin with a
multi-media form of lesson to capture their interest and then move to a
text support for added connection. Every school should have a contract
with a multimedia center such as United Streaming. At www.unitedstreaming.com
you will find thousands of movies aligned by grade level and subject
matter. They have even aligned their media with state curriculum
standards. But the best part is the fact that they have broken the
movies into segments. Students today are multi-media driven, but at the
same time when it comes to learning, they don’t want a 45-minute
movie. They lose their interest after 10 -15 minutes. With segments, you
can pick the exact part that fits with what you are teaching.

In
summary, begin your lessons with multimedia. This will capture
their interest quicker. Next time, I’ll talk about others ideas, such
as gaming, to capture the interest of a post-literate classroom full of
students.

Check out our selection of past articles,
including more about groups and stations, from previous issues
at:

Fall
is a wonderful time to explore the outdoors with your children. With the
seasons changing, the world is ripe for learning and understanding…
and it is a rather interesting time as well!

October
calls for pumpkins, gourds, and ghouls. No one but The
Adventurous Child
would associate Halloween with woodworking, but maybe that’s what
makes us special. At the end of your Halloween celebration this year,
hold onto your pumpkins! (Read on to learn why.)

The
outdoors is the perfect place for banging nails and sawing wood. A preschool
woodworking learning center
may include a platform containing a tool storage cabinet, real tools and
work benches. Children enjoy designing and constructing their wood
masterpieces. They also learn to change physical properties like size,
shape and texture as they master the tools and manipulate the material.

However,
before you let the children construct wooden masterpieces, teach them
about hammering with something a little softer… like a pumpkin! Its
malleable skin will make it easier for children who are hammering nails
for the first time. We recommend you use a roofing nail. With its large
head and short body, it can be hammered in 2-3 tries. Once the children
have mastered that, they can move onto hammering nails into wood, and
from there, they can construct their tours
de force. As always, make sure everyone is wearing safety goggles!

Early
November is a great time to take your children for a hike. Whether you
actually take them into the woods or around
your playground,
they will enjoy being outdoors during the seasonal transition. Now is
the time to kick up some leaves and talk about the cooler temperatures.
Ask them how the air feels on their skin, what colors they see, and what
season follows autumn.

Some
of the fun things you can do with children outdoors right now include
engaging them in discussions about animals and plants that are going
through autumnal changes; ask them whether the lighting is different
(this works especially well if you take them outside at the same time
every day); bring a notebook to use as a nature journal for written
descriptions or pictures; bring a recorder to capture the sounds of the
day; and bring several baggies and a black permanent marker to give your
children practice with sorting. Collect seeds, nuts, pinecones, rocks,
and leaves and place them in the labeled bag. (Thanks to Renee Carver
for these wonderful
suggestions!)

At
the end of your hike, whether it lasts 15 minutes or an hour, you can
sit down at your literacy
gazebo
and write and draw about your experiences. Children will be excited to
talk about everything they saw, smelled, felt, and heard… while
tasting some nice apple cider (our
favorite autumn treat).

Autumn
is an exciting time of year, so why not invite your children to learn
from its many gifts?

Clark
Kugler is president of The Adventurous Child, a company
dedicated to supporting early childhood learning standards
through children’s outdoor play equipment.

Education economics or the economics of education is the study of
economic issues relating to education, including the demand for
education and the financing and provision of education. From early works
on the relationship between schooling and labor market outcomes for
individuals, the field of the economics of education has grown rapidly
to cover virtually all areas with linkages to education. It has become a
very vibrant area for research by young researchers, and it has led to
four separate Handbook volumes covering both theoretical and empirical
issues.

Demand for educationThe dominant model of the demand for education is based on
human capital theory. The central idea is that undertaking education is
investment in the acquisition of skills and knowledge which will
increase earnings, or provide long-term benefits such as an appreciation
of literature (sometimes referred to as cultural capital). An increase
in human capital can follow technological progress as knowledgeable
employees are in demand due to the need for their skills, whether it be
in understanding the production process or in operating machines.
Studies from 1958 attempted to calculate the returns from additional
schooling (the percent increase in income acquired through an additional
year of schooling). Later results attempted to allow for different
returns across persons or by level of education.

Statistics have shown that countries with high enrollment/graduation
rates have grown faster than countries without. The United States has
been the world leader in educational advances, beginning with the high
school movement (1910–1950). There also seems to be a correlation
between gender differences in education with the level of growth; more
development is observed in countries which have an equal distribution of
the percentage of women versus men who graduated from high school. When
looking at correlations in the data, education seems to generate
economic growth; however, it could be that we have this causality
relationship backwards. For example, if education is seen as a luxury
good, it may be that richer households are seeking out educational
attainment as a symbol of status, rather than the relationship of
education leading to wealth.

Educational advance is not the only variable for economic growth,
though, as it only explains about 14% of the average annual increase in
labor productivity over the period 1915-2005. From lack of a more
significant correlation between formal educational achievement and
productivity growth, some economists see reason to believe that in
today’s world many skills and capabilities come by way of learning
outside of tradition education, or outside of schooling altogether.

An alternative model of the demand for education, commonly referred
to as screening, is based on the economic theory of signalling. The
central idea is that the successful completion of education is a signal
of ability.

The legends of the Michigan Dogman come alive in six haunting
tales by folklore author, Frank Holes, Jr.Based upon both mythology and alleged real stories of the
beast, this collection is sure to fire the imagination!

Spanning the decades and the geography of the
Great Lakes
State
, Frank weaves:

A mysterious police report of an unsolvable death in
Manistee
County

A
terrifying encounter in the U.P.’s remote
Dickinson
County

A BLOG,
begun as one man’s therapy, becomes a chronicle of sightings
from around
Michigan

A secret
governmental agent investigates the grisly aftermath of Sigma

A pioneer
family meets more than they expected on the trail north

A
campfire tale of ancient betrayal handed down through the Omeena
Tribe

Building Positive Relationships
Around Your School (part 4):Your
Cooks and Cafeteria Personnel

By
Dr. Peter Manute

This is the
fourth article in the series, dealing with your lunchroom staff.
This article describes why you should 'get in good' with your
school food service personnel.

School kitchens are great places to find boxes of all
sizes and shapes, which have hundreds of uses in classrooms. We've used
boxes simply for storage, for art supplies, for project centers.
Cardboard is used in art projects, building sets and backdrops for
plays. Large, sturdy boxes can also be useful for moving!

Food service companies typically drop off boxes and
crates of bulk food items weekly. If your cooks know you're looking for
boxes (or cardboard or cans), and you've developed good relationships
with them, they will usually be more than happy to save these items for
you.

There will also undoubtedly be times when class
celebrations require plastic silverware, paper cups, or foam plates or
bowls. Sometimes we know about such events, and other times they occur
in relative spontaneity. Now, most kitchens keep a good record of their
inventory, and will charge accordingly for the use of consumables. But,
with a postive relationship built between you, the food service
personnel will usually cut you a deal, or even find enough 'extra' items
to help you out in a bind.

Middle school teachers may find their schedules
changing at times to accommodate special events or programs. The Middle
School Concept tends to do this a lot. Always let your kitchen staff
know well ahead of time if your schedule change affects the food service
even in the slightest. Most cooks will be accommodating if they have
some advance notice. But this is only being polite and professional
anyway!

Be sure to check out our website for the FREE teacher Who-I-Want-To- Be
plan and other great Freebies for new teachers. Simply click the
following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Kindle weighs only 10 ounces and is 1/3 of an inch
thick, yet it holds over 1500 books!

Order your very own Kindle by clicking the link below:

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School or District Who Would Love to Receive Our Newsletter?

Be sure to
pass along our website and newsletter!

"Halloween Humor"

Themes
on Life

Good
advice for Halloween...

This Halloween, beware and watch out
for witches flying on their brooms. Be especially aware of any witches who
drink and fly, 'cause everyone knows you don't drink and fly!

(Best to keep your feet on the ground
for trick or treating, not flying around the neighborhood on a broom)
wink wink

What's New @
StarTeaching?

Welcome to our first October issue of
Features for Teachers! This month, our web partner Tony Vincent shares
another iOS 6 feature, while tech writer Mark Benn
shares more thoughts on the role of technology in society.

We are also featuring new articles
on education economics, building positive relationships around school,
and ideas for Halloween.

Look for more real math problems from Mary Ann
Graziani, science activities from Helen De la Maza, and the Article of the Week
from Frank Holes, Jr. Be sure to join up on our FACEBOOK page for StarTeaching for more reader
interaction as well as constant, updated streams of educational
information.

Of course, you should also check our website for a
number of updates and re-designed pages. We're starting to collect
quite a few articles from educational experts all over the world.
See these archives on our website: www.starteaching.com

See more of our Freebies as well as Special
Reports on our website by clicking the quick link below:

Check
out our collection of FREE online resources, including the SQ3R
sheet for reading and the
Paragraph
Graphic Organizer for writing. These are forms you
can fill in online and print, or have your students fill them in
and print them for class!

Are you interested in advertising with us?
Want to reach an audience of thousands each month? The
StarTeaching newsletter is sent out twice a month, and advertising is
available on our website.
Click the link below for more information:Advertise
with Us!

Need a position in a K-12 school, administration, or a coaching
job? Our website has just gained access to a specialized
service just for our members and newsletter readers. Job
listings, application and interviewing tips, and priceless
information, at your fingertips!

Learning in
Hand is an
educator's resource for using some of the coolest technologies
with students.

Tony is a teacher who
wants to make education effective, relevant, and fun. He knows
handhelds are small computers that can make a big difference in
classrooms! He hopes Learning in Hand inspires and motivates
teachers to use technology that students crave.